Happy New Year!!

Enjoy the Holiday and be ready to rally for a 10:30 am (CST) kickoff tomorrow. I'd tell everyone to be safe, but I know that would ruin the evening for many of you who follow the site.

Cotton Bowl Preview Video and Last Minute Stuff

Well, the game is sneaking up on us and I didn't give it nearly the attention it deserves. I'll chalk that up to time well spent catching up with friends and family. Here is a pretty nice preview video to help get you fired up as you enjoy the game from home, as seemingly no Husker fans have made the trip to Dallas.

Anyway here are just a few things to keep an eye on Monday:

· Much of the pregame chatter has concerned Auburn’s running game. Perhaps for good reason. The Tigers have thrown for more than 200 yards just four times all season. In addition, only two of those games came against BCS conference foes, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

· If the O-line protects Zac Taylor, Nebraska wins the game. In home losses to Arkansas and Georgia, Auburn had zero sacks.

· After averaging over 4 yards/carry in Big 12 play, does Nebraska have a running back healthy enough to produce like that versus Auburn?

· How might the lack of a healthy RB affect the playcalling? More throws? The emergence of the tight end as a legitimate receiving threat? New wrinkles or trick plays?

· Auburn beat Florida without scoring an offensive touchdown. Which team’s special teams are more special? Can our offense be our best defense?

Quick Hits

The girls are a tribute to FSU's big Emerald Bowl win. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

· Speaking of which, EDSBS has a piece which traces the origins of the Seminoles' recent demise.

· In Cotton Bowl news, Auburn is taking a more business-like approach to this year’s bowl game.

· Husker Mike examines the apparent fan apathy surrounding Nebraska’s trip to Dallas. I’ve noticed this too, but can’t put my finger on the reason.

· The Blue Gray Sky has an interesting look at Nebraska coaching “legend” Bo Pelini. It is a nice treatment of his work with LSU.

· Finally, stop what you are doing and go out and buy Blindside by Michael Lewis. I received it as a Christmas gift (thanks Dad), and read it in virtually one sitting. It will also give you a better understanding of webgems like this.

DXP Bowl Pick'Em Top 20 Update

In case you haven't checked your entry lately, here are the standings through 8 games (click to enlarge). There are several names I recognize on there and more that I do not. There are a ton of games left, so there is plenty of time for a strong finish. At least that is what I keep telling myself.

Separated at Birth?

Nebraska's Stewart Bradley arriving in Dallas for the Cotton Bowl and famed comedian Gallagher. I just hope Stew brought his Sledge-O-Matic to drop on Auburn.

*Stewart Bradley Photo Credit: HuskersIllustrated.com

Auburn Preview

Location: Auburn, AL
Enrollment: 23,000
Conference: SEC
Stadium: Jordan-Hare Stadium (Capacity: 87,451)
First Year of Football: 1891
All Time Record: 648-379-47 (.625)

Head Coach: Tommy Tuberville
6th year as head coach at Auburn: Career record at Auburn 51-24.

Team Overview

Last Season: Despite losing Jason Campbell, Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown, the Tigers barely missed a beat in 2005. They finished 9-3 in 2005 after losing in the Capital One Bowl 24-10 to Wisconsin.

This Season: Auburn comes into the Cotton Bowl with a 10-2 record. The Tigers started the season 5-0 before losing at home to Arkansas 27-10. Auburn then reeled off 4 more wins, including a 27-17 victory over Florida. The Tigers finished the season with another home loss to Georgia and a win over archrival Alabama.

On Offense: Although it is not the most productive unit in the country, Auburn’s offense is one of the most balanced attacks. The Tigers rank 68th in the nation in total offense while producing 155 yards rushing/game and 178 yards passing/game. Auburn’s quarterback is the left-handed Brandon Cox. Cox has completed 153/250 of his passes for 2087 yards 13 TDs and 9 INTs. Cox is capable of being extremely accurate when given time, but often breaks down under pressure. He has also been forced to battle through nagging injuries, but should be healthy for the bowl game. Despite his own injury issues, the Tigers’ rushing attack is led by senior Kenny Irons. Irons is not the most physical runner, but is also difficult to bring down one-on-one. He excels in the open field and makes the most of running lanes. Irons has rushed for 861 yards and 4 TDs in 2006. Irons’ backup during the season has been sophomore Brad Lester who has produced 523 yards and 9 TDs. Lester will not be available for the Cotton Bowl, however, after being suspended for a violation of team rules. In Lester’s place expect to see true freshman Ben Tate. Tate who is Maryland's all-time prep leader in rushing, has 369 yards rushing this year and averages a robust 7.4 yards/carry.

Auburn’s receiving corps entered the season as a talented, but inexperienced group. The Tiger receivers are deep as a unit and also possess a great deal of speed. The Tiger’s leading receiver is senior Courtney Taylor. Taylor is a big, strong receiver who is difficult to bring down in the open field. He has 48 catches for 634 yards and 2 TDs on the year. Behind Taylor is the athletic Rodgeriqus Smith. Smith has caught 26 balls for 452 yards and 4 TDs. Two other targets to look for are Prechae Rodriguez and TE Gabe McKenzie. Rodriguez is 6-4 with great deep speed and should develop into a consistent deep threat for Auburn. Tight end Tommy Trott is also a capable receiver who has 10 catches and 2 TDs in 2006. In addition, senior TE Cole Bennett may return from a broken ankle, which forced him to miss most of the season.

The Auburn offensive line came into 2006 with the need to develop depth behind a fairly solid starting unit. The Tigers’ biggest man up front is 6-8, 320 pound LT King Dunlap. Dunlap was known as a talented run blocker, who is continuing to improve at pass protection. The RT is senior Jonathan Palmer. Palmer is the most experienced member of the Tiger O-line. The guards are Tim Duckworth and Ben Grubbs. Grubbs is a good athlete and a dominating run blocker, while Duckworth is an all-conference performer. The center spot is manned by Joe Cope, a former walk-on who more than holds his own in the middle.

On Defense: The Tigers rank seventh in the nation in scoring defense (13.9 points) and 25th in total defense (297.5 yards). For the past few years they have relied upon the play of a group of undersized, but quick linebackers and 2006 has been no different. Auburn’s best defensive player is SLB Will Herring. Herring moved from FS to LB this season to take advantage of his speed and experience. Herring leads the team with 65 tackles, and is second on the Tigers with 7.5 TFL. Karibi Dede fills the MLB spot for Auburn. He is smallish at 6-0, 216, but is generally able to hold his own against the run. He has 56 tackles and 1 sack on the year. The WLB spot is held down by sophomore Merrill Johnson. He is another LB known for his speed and has shown an ability to get in the backfield. Johnson has 32 tackles and 3 QBH in 2006.


Headed into the season, Auburn thought it might have the SEC’s best secondary. David Irons and Jonathan Wilhite, who are among the best hitting DBs in the country, man the CB spots. Irons, who is the brother of RB Kenny Irons, has 45 tackles, 2 INT and 6 PBU on the year. Wilhite is steady, but has been known to take his share of risks. He has 24 tackles and 1 forced fumble this season. The safeties are Eric Brock and Aairon Savage. Savage has the size and speed of a corner, but is third on the team in tackles with 48 and also has 1 INT on the year. Brock is the team’s biggest DB at 6-1 213 pounds. He is tied for the team lead in INTs with two.

The Auburn front four is young and starts just one senior across the line. They are led by junior DE Quintin Groves. Groves finally became more consistent this season at getting into the backfield. He leads the team with 12 TFL and 9.5 sacks. The other DE spot is filled by senior Marquies Gunn. Gunn is physical and quick and has 7 TFL and 3 sacks. The DTs are Josh Thompson and Sen’Derrick Marks. Thompson the NG, is extremely powerful. He has 3.5 TFL, 1 sack and 2 QB hurries. Marks a RFr, is still raw, but has 8.5 TFL and 3.5 QBH.

Special Teams: The Tigers have one of the country’s best kicker and punter combinations. The kicker is Jon Vaughn who rebounded from a poor 2005 season to hit 19/23 FG attempts. Kody Bliss is the punter and averages 46.1 yards/punt, including placing 12 attempts inside the 20 yard line. In the return game, Tristian Davis is a dangerous kickoff returner who averages 26.4 yards/return.

Random Notes

Series History: This marks the fourth meeting between the two teams. Nebraska leads the all-time series 3-0.

I Can’t Believe I Looked It Up Either: Auburn is 5-5 all-time against teams from the Big 12. The Tigers record is 1-3 versus Big 12 teams in bowl games. Their lone win was a 24-3 Gator Bowl victory over Colorado in 1972.

I Can’t Believe I Looked It Up Either – Part II: Auburn’s first bowl game was the 1937 Bacardi Bowl, in which they tied Villanova 7-7. The Bacardi Bowl was played six times in Havana, Cuba. The 1937 game was the only one pitting two American CFB teams against one another. The previous games matched an American team with a team from Cuba. The Cuban teams went 1-4 against US college teams.

Six Degrees of Beano Cook: Beano is feeling optimistic. Nebraska beat Missouri. Missouri beat Ole Miss. Ole Miss beat Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt beat Georgia. Georgia…beat Auburn.

College Football Blog Awards - The I Wanna Talk About Me Free for All

The I Wanna Talk About Me Free for All

"The I Wanna Talk About Me Free for All is designed primarily to spread the love in case it doesn't naturally happen some other way and to serve as the season's Round Up of Round Ups. Each blogger, no matter who they are, must identify their three best posts of the year."

Ok, so here is where I had to nominate my three "best" posts of the year. I didn't get any help from my loyal readers, and I assume that was because it was impossible to pick just three. As a result, I selected three that were either really fun to write, brought on a lot of commentary from others, or received a "hey, I enjoyed that piece", from people I respected.

Here goes nothing:

What's Eating at Coach Callahan?

Husker Urban Legends Part I

NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse

Home For The Holidays

I am leaving this morning for ten days back in Nebraska for the holidays. I plan on continuing to post and to get started on my Cotton Bowl preview while I'm back. I also wanted to take this time to thank all of my readers for their patronage and their contributions to the site. Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Oh, and I'm also switching to the new (beta) version of Blogger. I have no idea how the switch will go, so the site may be unavailable at times.

College Football Blog Awards: Blogger Championship Series

I am continuing my nominations for the first annual College Football Blogger Awards.

Readers note: Nominating blogs is open to everyone, not just CFB bloggers. To nominate blogs for any of the categories, simply go to the Nomination Page and appoint your blogs of choice.

Blogger Championship Series

...it's just like that other BCS except completely different. We'll be handing out Best Blog awards for each of the BCS conferences, plus one for mid-major coverage (including all independents other than Notre Dame), and one for more general, national coverage blogs. After long debate we decided to put Notre Dame blogs in with the Big East, as the "non-BCS" category is supposed to be an award for mid-majors, which Notre Dame is certainly not. Since ND shares bowl affiliations with the Big East and plays the rest of their sports there, it seemed the logical choice.

ACC: Eagle In Atlanta - Makes reading about Boston College entertaining. Not an easy task my friends.

Big 12: BON - If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, BON should feel more than a little flattered. Perhaps the most frequently emulated blog in CFB (see my formatting for these very awards).

Big East: Card Chronicle - One of my new favorites, this blog covers Louisville in great depth.

Big 10: MGoBlog - Perhaps the most competitive conference for blogs, but Brian is still the king.

Pac 10: Bruins Nation - This UCLA blog seems to be updated constantly with outstanding Bruin coverage making it the best out West.

SEC: EDSBS - Another competitive conference, but another easy choice.

Mid-Major: SMQ - Somewhat unfair to put this USM fan in with this group, but SMQ is damn good at what he does.

Huskers Matriculate...

Nine current members of the Husker football team received their diplomas Saturday in Nebraska's Winter Commencement Ceremony. The players graduating were:

Zac Taylor
Adam Carriker
Brandon Rigoni
Matt Herian
J.B. Phillips
Stewart Bradley
Ola Dagunduro
Newt Lingenfelter
Will Otto

Congratulations and good luck in your futures (especially the Cotton Bowl).

...And Huskers Give Back

The Huskers welcomed more than 60 youth from the Lincoln YMCA Community Learning Center to the Hawks Center and treated them to a Husker Family Christmas following Saturday’s practice. The players and coaches shared a Christmas meal with the children and afterwards, the kids received gifts. The gifts were selected and paid for by the players who were each assigned a gift partner.

You can check out more pictures of the event here. Any guesses as to who played Santa Claus? Corey McKeon? Matt Slauson?

College Football Blog Awards: The Best Community Interaction Award

I am continuing my nominations for the first annual College Football Blogger Awards.

Readers note: Nominating blogs is open to everyone, not just CFB bloggers. To nominate blogs for any of the categories, simply go to the Nomination Page and appoint your blogs of choice.

The Best Community Interaction Award

FOR: The blog with the best community interaction.

CRITERIA: A regular solicitation of input from readers and utilization of reader-produced content.

Double Extra Point Nominees:

BON The guys at Burnt Orange Nation do a great job of getting readers involved and have fostered a solid sense of community.

MGoBlog Brian's writing has a way of bringing about a lot of comments. The discussion tends to be enjoyable and fairly civil outside of one week a year.

College Football Blog Awards: The LOL, MSM Award

I am continuing my nominations for the first annual College Football Blogger Awards.

Readers note: Nominating blogs is open to everyone, not just CFB bloggers. To nominate blogs for any of the categories, simply go to the Nomination Page and appoint your blogs of choice.

The LOL, MSM Award

FOR: The blog best keeping tabs on the man and calling out all of the injustices in the college football world.

CRITERIA: Consistently ahead-of-the-curve on controversial issues in college football.

Double Extra Point Nominees:

The Wiz: A great site overall, he took Rule 3-2-5-e by the horns prior to the season and never let it go.

The Corporate Headquarters of the San Antonio Gunslingers: LD gets the nod primarily for his take on "the narrative", which served as my introduction to the concept. Also keeps the Gameday crew honest with his weekly recaps.

College Football Blog Awards: The New Blog on the Block Award

I am continuing my nominations for the first annual College Football Blogger Awards.

Readers note: Nominating blogs is open to everyone, not just CFB bloggers. To nominate blogs for any of the categories, simply go to the Nomination Page and appoint your blogs of choice.

The New Blog on the Block Award

FOR: The best new college football blog.

CRITERIA: Must have launched sometime after last year's national championship game. Transitioning to a new blog or affiliating with a network mid-stream doesn't count.

Double Extra Point Nominees:

Corn From a Jar: Not just a clever name, this has quickly become another fantastic Tennessee blog.

Tightwad Hill: This Cal blog is still in its infancy, but is already putting out some good stuff. As Exhibit A - check out their stance on recruiting, which echoes some of the reasons I won't be covering it here until signing day.

Video Stadium Tour - With Your Host Ola Dagundaro

Here is an insider's look at the new stadium complex, which includes more of Ola being Ola. Ah, YouTube, the lazy blogger's delight. I promise things will pick up when this semester is finally in the books for good and the Cotton Bowl approaches.

College Football Blog Awards: The Brady Quinn Award

I am continuing my nominations for the first annual College Football Blogger Awards.

Readers note: Nominating blogs is open to everyone, not just CFB bloggers. To nominate blogs for any of the categories, simply go to the Nomination Page and appoint your blogs of choice.

The Brady Quinn Award

FOR: The prettiest blog, the best layout and design.

CRITERIA: An aesthetic appeal, whether from a stylish banner, a pleasing layout, or an eye-catching incorporation of blog technology.

Double Extra Point Nominees:

College Football Resource: Although I've always liked the old-school feel of CFR's banner logo, this one is more about functionality. CFR houses the preeminent collection of links and resources to guide the lazy blogger. He should be rewarded for that if nothing else.

Rocky Top Talk Again the banners and graphics are always fresh and pleasing to the eyes. In addition, Joel's animated BCS race is state-of-the-art.

New Defensive Line Coach - Buddy Wyatt

It's official. Nebraska has hired Buddy Wyatt as the new DL coach. Wyatt was in his fourth year as a member of the Tide coaching staff before Mike Shula was fired. In 2006, Alabama finished the year 18th nationally in scoring defense and 29th in total defense. The Tide finished the 2005 season ranked first in scoring defense, second in total defense, fifth in pass defense and pass efficiency defense and ninth in rushing defense.

Wyatt is a native of Victoria, Texas, and played at Stroman High School where he lettered in football, basketball and track. He graduated in 1985 and attended TCU earning four letters as a defensive lineman for Coach Jim Wacker. As a senior he tallied 46 tackles and four quarterback sacks. He graduated with a degree in education in 1989. Following his career at TCU, Wyatt played two seasons of professional football. In 1991, Wyatt began his coaching career by returning to TCU as a graduate assistant working with the defensive line in 1991.

Wyatt has connections with both Tim Cassidy and Shawn Watson. Cassidy and Wyatt worked together under R.C. Slocum at Texas A&M from 1999-2002. Wyatt was also on staffs at both Northwestern and Colorado with Watson.

Wyatt's Coaching History

2003-present Alabama, Defensive Line
2000-2002 Texas A&M, Defensive Line
1999 Colorado Defensive Line
1997-98 Northwestern Defensive Line and FG & PAT Defense Special Teams
1996 Oklahoma State Defensive Line
1992-95 Minnesota Defensive Line and Special Teams
1991 TCU Graduate Assistant, Defensive Line

Like Blake, Wyatt's strength appears to be his energetic and affable personality. His profile on Scout.com, describes him as "an excellent recruiter and well-liked coach." Nebraska could also benefit from his recruiting connections in the south.

College Football Blog Award Nominations: The Keith Jackson Circa 1995 Award

I am continuing my nominations for the first annual College Football Blogger Awards.

Readers note: Nominating blogs is open to everyone, not just CFB bloggers. To nominate blogs for any of the categories, simply go to the Nomination Page and appoint your blogs of choice.

The Keith Jackson Circa 1995 Award

FOR: The blog with the most consistently expressive and excellent writing.

CRITERIA: Mechanical competency, yes, but the ability to turn a devastatingly funny phrase or write something compelling is probably more important. This isn't an award for copy editing; it's an award for kickin' prose.

Double Extra Point Nominees:

SMQ: This nomination is a no-brainer, and I'd expect it to be nearly unanimous. SMQ is perhaps the most detailed blogger on the planet. What shouldn't be lost in that detail, however, is the beauty of his voice and his ability to articulate that which is often difficult for others to make lucid.

Hey Jenny Slater: Doug's snarky humor permeates his well-developed voice. He writes on a number of topics and does so eloquently. His take on the Alabama coaching search was both spot on, and well-written:

I know I've been harsh on Alabama here, and I don't mean to sound that way; I like Alabama, I definitely fall on the crimson side of the Bama-Auburn rivalry, and I'm one of those people who just thinks there's something somehow better about college football when the Tide is good. But good Lord, people, it's time to man up and realize that after Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione, the Mike Price debacle, and not one but two major NCAA violations, the reconstruction of Alabama into a national powerhouse is not a three-year job. It may not even be a five-year job. Hire someone who has that kind of patience, and then do him a favor by having that same kind of patience with him.

Blue Gray Sky: I've never been able to put my finger on the ingredient that makes BGS such an enjoyable read. All I know is that I hate Notre Dame, but I read this blog on a regular basis. I have a sneaky suspicion it is the prose that lures me back.

Kirk Herbstreit Hates Nebraska

In case you missed it last night on ESPN's All-time Greatest College Football Playoff, Kirk took issue with the voting that produced a championship game match up between the 1995 Huskers and the 1971 Huskers. I'm not sure what ESPN thought would happen when they opened the voting up to the public. Nebraskans are going to vote for the Huskers in any kind of contest. We live for this stuff. Behold the Power of Red Kirk. Husker Nation rules the internets.

Truth be told, I actually felt kind of bad for Herbie, as it was clear he thought it was going to be a serious discussion about fake match ups. He probably spent time preparing for it while he could have been boinking Erin Andrews. I'd be bitter too.

College Football Blog Award Nominees: The Sports Fans Don't Cry Award

I am continuing my nominations for the first annual College Football Blogger Awards.

Readers note: Nominating blogs is open to everyone, not just CFB bloggers. To nominate blogs for any of the categories, simply go to the Nomination Page and appoint your blogs of choice.

The Sports Fans Don't Cry Award

FOR: The blog that has suffered through its chosen team's dismal season with the most dignity.

CRITERIA: Continued engagement in the face of crippling, misery-inducing defeat. A stiff-upper lip and sane reaction to everything crumbling to dust.

Double Extra Point Nominees:

Tomahawk Nation: Major props to this Florida State blogger for just sticking the season out. I sat through some Chris Rix laughers during my time at FSU, but nothing like this. Bonus points for actually having a countdown thingie to the Emerald Bowl (Wow!). His support is truly unyielding.

Section Six: Things were also rough for this NC State Blog. As if Coach Man-tits wasn't enough, the Wolfpack went and lost to Akron. But Section Six kept a tremendous sense of humor through it all. My highlight of the season was this gem from the 2nd half of the Maryland game live blog:

[1:59PM] Let's go for-ward! Clap clap clap-clap-clap.

Brilliant.

College Football Blog Award Nominees: The Trev Alberts Quits To Do Construction Award

I am beginning to select my nominations for the first annual College Football Blogger Awards. My nominees for each award will be laid out in a series of posts.

Readers note: Nominating blogs is open to everyone, not just CFB bloggers. To nominate blogs for any of the categories, simply go to the Nomination Page and appoint your blogs of choice.

The Trev Alberts Quits To Do Construction Award

FOR: comic relief; overall hilarity.

CRITERIA: The funniest college football blog.

Double Extra Point Nominees:

EDSBS: Theirs is a biting, stinging comedy just as likely to produce a wince, as a guffaw. If something funny is happening in college football, EDSBS is touching on it in inappropriate ways.

M Zone: These guys are "I wish I had thought of that" funny. Sophomoric and cheeky in all the right ways. Also a major reason I am thankful not to be an Ohio State fan.

Deep South Sports: Erik doesn't get nearly the respect he deserves for consistent chortle-producing posts. Earned a spot amongst my favorites with the Top Wives of the SEC, and hasn't let me down since.

*I'm anxious to hear feedback about my selections and don't forget to nominate your own candidates.

Take That Kenny Wilson!

That is Sam McGuffie, a junior from Cy Creek High in Cypress, Texas with an absolutely crazy 90-yard run. Although McGuffie has over 3000 yards on the season, he first gained national recognition after hurdling a defender in another run. I'm sorry but McGuffie's efforts in the video above are slightly more impressive than those displayed by our own Kenny Wilson.

College Football Blogger Award Nominees: Dr. Z Award

I am beginning to select my nominations for the first annual College Football Blogger Awards. My nominees for each award will be laid out in a series of posts.

Readers note: Nominating blogs is open to everyone, not just CFB bloggers. To nominate blogs for any of the categories, simply go to the Nomination Page and appoint your blogs of choice.

The Dr. Z Award

FOR: Cogent, interesting analysis.

CRITERIA: Emphasis placed on statistical manipulation, well researched pieces that reveal something new, and/or solid argumentative pieces that function as the authoritative last word on a subject.

Double Extra Point Nominees:

MGoBlog: If ever a category was designed with Brian in mind, it is this one. If you aren't already reading this site everyday, please start doing so. For a sample of his argumentative style, why not start with his efforts at a playoff system. In addition, his postgame analysis pieces put the rest of us to shame. We're talking play-by-play breakdowns with an attention to detail rarely seen outside of the most-crippling OCD cases.

SMQ: Another can't miss daily read. Might actually be the updates that I await most anxiously. The posts are long and informative, not unlike a Howard Zinn speech, and I never come away disappointed.

*I'm anxious to hear feedback about my selections and don't forget to nominate your own candidates.

John Blake Leaving

So John Blake is moving on to the greener pastures of Chapel Hill. As a result, the sky is falling and the evil plague of "change" is sweeping over Lincoln and surrounding communities. I appreciate all that Blake has done during his time in Lincoln, especially on the recruting trail, but this day was inevitable.

Here is the inexorable, but unofficial list of possible candidates soon to be seen on message boards and discussed ad nauseam, until a far more appropriate replacement is named:

Bo Pelini
Trev Alberts
Rich Glover
Larry Jacobson
Jason and/or Christian Peter(s)
Monte Kiffin
Marv Sanders
William "the Refrigerator" Perry
Chuck Amato
Kevin Steele
John Parella
Neil Smith
Mark May
Bob Brown
Moe Iba
Charles Woodson
Tony Samuel
Dan McCarney
John Gruden
Patrick Deuel
Carol Frost
Bruce Smith
Gary Barnett
Larry the Cable Guy
John Melton
Jeff Bowden
Watson Brown
Cedric the Entertainer
Tommie Frazier

The Safeties: A Rudimentary Semi-Historical Analysis

This year's safeties have taken a lot of heat from Nebraska fans (and especially from me). As a result, I thought it might be helpful to try and put their performance into some type of historical perspective. The results are below.

A few things to keep in mind: First, when we examine the statistics we must remember that these reflect four different defensive coordinators, each with his own system. Secondly, these statistics do not summarize all that is expected or required of a safety. Third, the performances include those of a "once in a generation" type player in Mike Brown along with 3 other players who made NFL rosters at one time or another. Fourth, I am not privy to film sessions or to how the performers graded out in the eyes of the coaches. And finally, the 2006 season is the only one of those included, in which both safety spots were filled by first-time starters.

2006

Player	Games	Tackles	TFL	INTs	FF	FmbRec
Tierre Green	13	48.5	.5	1	0	1
Andrew Shanle	13	47.5	0	4	0	1

2005

Player	Games	Tackles	TFL	INTs	FF	FmbRec
Daniel Bullocks	12	83	4	1	2	1
Blake Tiedtke	12	68	6	1	2	0

2004

Player	Games	Tackles	TFL	INTs	FF	FmbRec
Josh Bullocks	11	68	2	2	0	0
Daniel Bullocks	11	58	4	5	1	1

2003

Player	Games	Tackles	TFL	INTs	FF	FmbRec
Phillip Bland	4	7	1	0	0	0
Josh Bullocks	13	49	0	10	0	0
Daniel Bullocks	13	59	4	2	1	1

2002

Player	Games	Tackles	TFL	INTs	FF	FmbRec
Philllip Bland	13	84	6	1	1	1
Josh Bullocks	13	48	0	1	1	1
Shane Siegel	14	14	1	0	0	0
Aaron Terpening	14	17	2	0	0	0

2001

Player	Games	Tackles	TFL	INTs	FF	FmbRec
Dion Booker	12	62	1	1	0	0
Willie Amos	9	28	0	4	0	0
Phillip Bland	10	24	1	0	0	0

2000

Player	Games	Tackles	TFL	INTs	FF	FmbRec
Joe Walker	11	44	2	2	1	1
Dion Booker	11	34	2	0	0	0
Troy Watchorn	11	27	2	5	0	0
Clint Finley	11	22	1	0	0	0

1999

Player	Games	Tackles	TFL	INTs	FF	FmbRec
Mike Brown	12	96	8	5	6	1
Dion Booker	12	28	0	1	1	0
Clint Finley	12	27	0	1	0	1
Joe Walker	10	11	4	0	2	1

1998

Player	Games	Tackles	TFL	INTs	FF	FmbRec
Mike Brown	12	102	5	1	1	1
Clint Finley	9	28	3	3	3	1
Joe Walker	12	50	5	3	1	0

After looking things over, my take is that our safeties performed average to a little below average by way of statistical analysis. Shall we say, I don't know...mediocre? What do you guys think?

2006 College Football Blogger Awards

So, I mentioned that these were in the works and now they've taken shape. The award categories have been named and nominations are now being accepted. First the nomination process as described by Joel at Rocky Top Talk.

The Nomination Process

All right, so here's how the nomination process will work. It's like a Roundtable. Nominate, in a post on your site, whomever you like for whatever you like. One plea: please don't neglect the individual post awards, as nominations in that area are going to be a little thin. You have two weeks, or until Friday, December 22. We plan to announce the nominees on January 2, open the voting for a week, and have an all-day awards presentation on Wednesday, January 10, two days after the National Championship Game. All dates are tentative at this point.
Remember that we're going to do this combo-style. Once we close the nominations, we'll try to pull 3-6 nominees in each category. 2-4 of these we'll pick from the tops of the open vote-getters. Each category will have one or two "editors choice" nominees selected by a panel in an effort to get deserving but less popular blogs in front of the voters.

General nomination rules: You cannot nominate yourself or any of your own posts for any of the awards, except for the I Wanna Talk About Me Free for All, where you MUST select your own posts. Important: As you draft your Roundtable response, don't just nominate somebody, say something nice about why they deserve consideration. Those bloggers posting the best comments will be the "presenters" in the award posts, which is another way the lesser-known blogs can end up with links on award day.

Once you finish your Roundtable, DON'T FORGET to post a link to your nomination post in the comment thread of this post, or else we might not ever see them. ALSO, head on over to Brian's Nomination Gizmo, and enter your nominations there as well, which will assist with the compilation and crunching of numbers.

If you have suggestions for improving the name of any particular award, include it in your nomination.

Again, this is all experimental, so expect some SNAFUs, etc. Happy nominating.

And now the 2006 College Football Blogger Award Categories:

Awards for Blogs

The Dr. Z Award

FOR: Cogent, interesting analysis.

CRITERIA: Emphasis placed on statistical manipulation, well researched pieces that reveal something new, and/or solid argumentative pieces that function as the authoritative last word on a subject.

The Trev Alberts Quits To Do Construction Award

FOR: comic relief; overall hilarity.

CRITERIA: The funniest college football blog.

The Sports Fans Don't Cry Award

FOR: The blog that has suffered through its chosen team's dismal season with the most dignity.

CRITERIA: Continued engagement in the face of crippling, misery-inducing defeat. A stiff-upper lip and sane reaction to everything crumbling to dust.

The Keith Jackson Circa 1995 Award

FOR: The blog with the most consistently expressive and excellent writing.

CRITERIA: Mechanical competency, yes, but the ability to turn a devastatingly funny phrase or write something compelling is probably more important. This isn't an award for copy editing; it's an award for kickin' prose.

The Brady Quinn Award

FOR: The prettiest blog, the best layout and design.

CRITERIA: An aesthetic appeal, whether from a stylish banner, a pleasing layout, or an eye-catching incorporation of blog technology.

The New Blog on the Block Award

FOR: The best new college football blog.

CRITERIA: Must have launched sometime after last year's national championship game. Transitioning to a new blog or affiliating with a network mid-stream doesn't count.

The LOL, MSM Award

FOR: The blog best keeping tabs on the man and calling out all of the injustices in the college football world.

CRITERIA: Consistently ahead-of-the-curve on controversial issues in college football.

The Best Community Interaction Award

FOR: The blog with the best community interaction.

CRITERIA: A regular solicitation of input from readers and utilization of reader-produced content.

Awards for Posts

The Tyrone Prothro And His Amazing Catch Award

FOR: The finest individual post of the college football year.

CRITERIA: Best post for whatever reason.

The Chris Berman Antimatter Award

FOR: The best contribution to the lingo of our little interniche, be it a nickname, neologism, or catchy phrase used with frequency.

CRITERIA: Spread is important. The ideal candidate has been universally adopted by anyone with cause to use the term.

The Old Faithful Award

FOR: The best recurring feature of the year.

CRITERIA: The feature should be posted weekly and be generally good and stuff.

The That's Not Really Real Award

FOR: The best photoshop or other counterfeit gag of the year.

CRITERIA: Could be a photoshop, a Motivational Poster, an On Notice
Board, or something similar, as long as it elicited more than a mere
smile.

The You Talkin' To Me Award

FOR: The best back and forth between rival blogs the week before a rivalry game.

CRITERIA: Must be bi-directional, and both blogs must score points against each other. A unilateral beat-down will not suffice. Should be more in the spirit of fun than wildly abusive.

The I'm Just Like You But I Have a Podcast Award

FOR: The best podcast or podcaster of the year.

CRITERIA: Uh, must be audio. And about college football, you know.
Note that this is "podcast" in a really broad sense. Parody songs,
incoherent ravings about Tyrone Willingham, and whatever else you've got
are nominate-able. One restriction: it has to be self-generated.

Blogger Championship Series

...it's just like that other BCS except completely different. We'll be handing out Best Blog awards for each of the BCS conferences, plus one for mid-major coverage (including all independents other than Notre Dame), and one for more general, national coverage blogs. After long debate we decided to put Notre Dame blogs in with the Big East, as the "non-BCS" category is supposed to be an award for mid-majors, which Notre Dame is certainly not. Since ND shares bowl affiliations with the Big East and plays the rest of their sports there, it seemed the logical choice.

The I Wanna Talk About Me Free for All

The I Wanna Talk About Me Free for All is designed primarily to spread the love in case it doesn't naturally happen some other way and to serve as the season's Round Up of Round Ups. Each blogger, no matter who they are, must identify their three best posts of the year. I'll round `em up, and compile the entire thing. If it kills me. And it might.

Whew, that is a lot of information!

Ok, so what do I need from you, my loyal readers. First and foremost let's make this all about me, so I need your help in selecting my three "best" posts of the year(as if you could pick just three). Anyway, if you have any suggestions for that category let me know in the comment section. Secondly, I need your help with any of the other categories, as well. I know many of you hit all of the major blogs daily, so let me know if you have any favorite regular features or know of any especially fabulous posts, and please put those in the comments as well. Lastly, I will be taking your feedback and then rolling out my nominations a few at a time, so as not to overwhelm either you or me. And I almost forgot, the nomination process is open to anyone, so you, too can get involved by using Brian's Nomination Gizmo as well.

Position Changes

Several players have made position changes as Nebraska begins its Cotton Bowl preparations. Callahan and crew are clearly using the extra practice time to prepare for 2007. This is good to see and every practice counts when you are moving to a new spot. Here is a summary of some of the changes.

Matt Slauson RT to G
Ricky Thenarse CB to S
Victory Haines T to C
J.B. Phillips TE to FB
Jordan Picou C to NT

I’m very excited to see Thenarse back at safety. With Bowman returning and a few new recruits we may finally have a little depth at CB, so safety offers Thenarse a chance to get on the field a lot next year. Any other changes you guys would like to see?

A Case of the Mondays

I'm still getting caught up on grading, but here is a quick peak around the blogosphere.

· Every Game Counts has an interesting piece written by Rice head coach Todd Graham. It is a pretty good account of how he helped turn the Owl program around this year.

· Heisman Pundit has a first-hand account live blog from the Heisman trophy presentation at the Downtown Athletic Club. I missed the ceremony so this was a nice wrap up for me.

· The House Rock Built announced his 2006 All-Hairmericans. Frantz Hardy and Stewart Bradley both made the squad. And deservedly so.

· North Carolina blog Carolina March is carrying out a mock BCS playoff. He will be having other bloggers predict and describe the action. Should be pretty cool to check back on.

· And finally, don’t miss the “Devil Walk” at Tift County High School in Georgia. I’m serious, don’t miss it.

Bowl Pick'Em Reminder

This is a reminder to get signed up for the DXP bowl game pick'em contest. There are still plenty of spots available. At this point, I'm sure T. Rose thinks he is going to walk away with it. We can't let that happen.

Join the Double Extra Point Bowl Game Pick'em

Not-strodamus

With the regular season behind us, I decided to take a look back at some of things I highlighted on the blog, that came to fruition during the season. Like most, I was wrong more than I was right, but it was interesting to look back at them nonetheless.

First from my early season I-Back analysis, I at least gave Brandon Jackson a fighting chance to see the bulk of the carries:

Brandon Jackson (Jr.): Seemingly the forgotten one amongst this group. Should be comfortable with the offense as he enters his third season in the system. Missed entire Spring while recovering from off-season shoulder surgery. Has showed at times that he is more than capable as a runner. Had extremely productive freshman year. Most forget his 390 rushing yards in 2004, which were the ninth-most ever by a Husker freshman. Has decisive running style and hits the hole hard. Many assume he starts the season fourth on the depth chart, but don’t count out his heart and desire.

As stated many times I have been disappointed by the play of our safeties. I was concerned about this, however, from the get-go. Unfortunately, I was all too correct on this one.

"Although the coaching staff is apparently not worried, my biggest question mark of fall camp is the safety position. With Tierre Green and Andrew Shanle penciled in at the top of the depth chart, it means that both safety positions will be manned by first time starters…For this season, however, I think we rely on Green and Shanle to play intelligent and consistent football. Unless they struggle making tackles in the open field or give up the big play, we probably have enough talent around them on defense to beat most of the teams on our schedule."

During Fall camp, I also had concerns about the health of Steve Octavien. At one point I made the following comment:

"Linebacker Steve Octavian also recently had surgery to remove his appendix. He was back jogging, however, at Friday’s practice. This is good news as I worried he was going to go all Lannie Hopkins on us."

Octavien has played in just 9 games over two seasons. He has a year remaining, and I really hope he avoids the Lannie Hopkins route from here on out.

After the Louisiana Tech game, I again questioned the secondary, and made one of my most unfortunate predictions.

"Cortney Grixby was being counted on to lockdown his side of the field. Unfortunately he did not look like our most seasoned DB and was turned, muscled and flat-out beaten by the Tech receivers. On the other side, Andre Jones was not tested a great deal and it is unclear whether this was by design or by chance. The safety position also still worries me. I think we can get by with mediocre safety play if and only if the front seven are dominant and the corners can keep guys in front of them. That being said, I still expect us to give up points on a weekly basis due to breakdowns in the secondary."

Following the Texas Game I said the following:

Our execution of trick plays has been perfect on the year. Why are we less sound in our execution of more fundamental aspects, such as inside-out pass protection or defending deep sideline routes?

I'm still wondering why we can't defend the deep sideline route, but OU was well aware of this weakness.

Finally, during the week leading up to the Texas game, I made my most unforgettable prediction in the comment section of this piece. This was particularly memorable given that I was in the stadium to see it live and witnessed the incredible crowd reaction.

"I'm also hoping we see a halfback pass off the infamous pitch play this week. It has to have been setting up something, right?"
Jeffie Husker | Homepage | 10.17.06 - 12:00 am

DXP Light - Now with 28% less posting!!

Ok, so I have 160 papers and extra credit projects to grade by Monday, so that I can turn in final grades and stay in the good graces of the University of Houston faculty. As a result, things might be a touch slow around here. I am going to try and get something else up on Friday, but can't promise anything. To hold you over here is a highlight video from the Big 12 Championship Game.



Oh, and here is an absolutely amazing article by Jason Whitlock (a combination of words you may never see again), highlighting the exploits of a legally blind running back in Kansas.

Awards Season

It is that time of year, when the games wind down and the hardware is handed out. Here is a sample of some of the honors being bestowed among the college football sect.

· First, SMQ is doling out his yearly awards. Today brings us The Edwards-Fitzgerald Award, which is:

Presented to the best player at whom to throw the ball as high as possible as often as possible. In the tradition of the most eye-opening of the new breed of big play receiver as acrobatic, boxing out, rebounding power forward, the winner of the venerable Edwards-Fitzgerald is one whose hands and lank in traffic mark him as uncoverable highlight reel out of defensive coordinators' nightmares.

One of the nominees is our own Maurice Purify. I’m not one to condone ballot-stuffing or voting shenanigans of any kind for that matter, but last I checked poor Mo only had one vote. The poll is on the top right of the site.

· Notre Dame blog The House Rock Built is compiling a 2006 All-Hairmerican team. I already took the liberty of nominating Stewart Bradley and Frantz Hardy. Cross your fingers.

· The Wiz is still taking votes for the Cheapest Shot of the Year and has videos of the nominees to boot. When Shawn Crable’s hit on Troy Smith is the cleanest of the bunch, you know it is a bumper crop of bush league beat-downs.

· Heisman Pundit predicts how the Top 10 voting will fall for Saturday’s Heisman coronation. You can also get your Heisman fill from StiffArmTrophy.com, which attempts to project the winner by tracking the votes of actual voters. It is a pretty cool site, that would like to remind you that it is in no way affiliated with the Heisman Trophy or the Downtown Athletic Club.

· Finally, the University Daily Kansan has released its Big 12 football All-Name team. Nebraska placed 3 players on the list. The surprise inclusion? Jay Moore. Come again? The Daily Kansan is really bad at this game.

Vegas Oddsmakers’ Final Top 25

The Las Vegas Sports Consultants, a group of four college football oddsmakers who are the leading advisors to Nevada sports books have released their final Top 25 poll for 2006. The poll is based on the notion of who would be favored if two teams were matched up on a neutral field. After seeing both the Harris Poll voter list and some of their ballots, I have to think these folks might be better equipped to make such judgments. Anyone who has ever tried to make a living by betting on college football games, realizes that Vegas is pretty damn good at setting the lines. Anyway, here is the final poll:

1. Ohio State (1)
2. Michigan (3)
3. Florida (2)
4. Southern Cal (5)
5. LSU (4)
6. Louisville (6)
7. Oklahoma (10)
8. Texas (19)
9. Notre Dame (11)
10. Wisconsin (7)
11t. West Virginia (13)
11t. California (18)
13. BYU (20)
14. Virginia Tech (15)
15. Arkansas (12)
16t. Boise State (8)
16t. South Carolina (NR)
18. Tennessee (17)
19t. Nebraska (23)
19t. UCLA (25)
21. TCU (NR)
22. Rutgers (16)
23t. Oregon (NR)
23t. Clemson (NR)
23t. Arizona State (NR)

Unranked by Vegas: Auburn (ninth in BCS), Wake Forest (14th), Texas A&M (21st), Oregon State (22nd), Boston College (24th).

Obviously what should jump out at Nebraska fans is that Auburn is nowhere to be found in the poll, despite being ranked 9th in the final BCS rankings. It should come as no surprise then, that the Huskers open as 3-point favorites. I'll try and get to some of the reasons why Vegas hates Auburn as my more detailed Cotton Bowl coverage kicksoff in a week or so. Anything else you guys see on there that is worthy of discussion?

What's Eating at Coach Callahan?

Everyone knows that Coach Callahan has blamed himself for the loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship Game. By now, this has been covered by just about everyone under the sun. One thing I haven’t seen though is a cogent discussion as to why Callahan would point the finger at himself.

After all, he didn’t underthrow receivers, miss blocks, or get beat by Malcolm Kelly. That’s not the role that coaches play. As Brian Billick states, “as a coach, you will not catch a single pass, throw a single block, or score a single touchdown this season. Nor will you, on a consistent basis, make that singularly brilliant play call that wins the game.”

And now, we even see Callahan’s players stepping forward to shoulder the blame.

"We all know it wasn't his fault," said Taylor, who threw three interceptions and lost a fumble. "We played the game. I know it's not his fault that I can't hit Nate Swift on a seam route when he's wide open. You've got to put the blame on the players. But he's a classy guy and he's a great coach, so naturally he's going to take the blame for it, even when we know that we made mistakes that we shouldn't have made."

So all of this begs the question – why is Callahan taking this loss so personally?

My first thought, is that perhaps Callahan is becoming entrenched in the culture that is Husker football. Let’s not forget this is the same guy who so famously uttered the “one game, one season,” remark just two short years ago. There is little doubt Callahan is more invested in the program now. We saw a glimpse of this a year ago, when he emerged teary-eyed following the victory over Colorado, but now his disappointment speaks volumes. Each week the Tunnel Walk echoes the sentiments – “I play for Nebraska”. Perhaps his reaction is simply evidence that Callahan has more fully internalized the notion – “I coach Nebraska.”

A second explanation might be found by examining Callahan’s coaching lineage. A pedigree that is superbly laid out in the following illustration.


Atop that illustration you see Bill Walsh’s name and toward the bottom, Bill Callahan’s. Although Walsh’s connection to Callahan seems somewhat removed, his influence might be less distant than you think. Obviously Callahan and Walsh are linked by way of the West Coast Offense. It is important to note, however, that the WCO is more than a system of plays. The major key to Walsh’s WCO was less in the actual Xs and Os than it was in the innovative approaches he took in preparation, installation and implementation of those fundamentals. The WCO was never meant to be just a series of runs and passes that emulates the success of the San Francisco 49ers during the 1980s and 1990s. Instead, Walsh’s structure was based on specific teaching methods that carried a team systematically from the installation of the offense in Fall camp, to weekly installation of the game plans at practices, to the actual implementation of the game plan on game days. A recurring theme then is preparation, preparation and preparation.

What then does this have to do with Callahan and the blame game? For further help with this let’s look at a Harvard Business Review (January, 1993) interview with Bill Walsh. In outlining his philosophical approach to preparing successful football teams, Walsh states:

“A system should never reduce the game to the point where it simply blames the players for failure because they did not physically overwhelm the opponent…the responsibility for the success of the team starts with the coach, who develops the plan, that is then executed by the players – who are extremely well-prepared.”

In Monday’s conference call, Callahan’s exact quote was:

"I was disappointed in everything I did. I could have done a better job. I just didn't do enough.”

This sounds as though he is blaming himself for failing to fully prepare his team for everything they might see against OU, or for failing to have a contingency plan in place should they fall behind early, or have difficulty sustaining drives.

Similarly, in the Harvard Business Review interview Walsh is also quoted as saying:

“You need to have a plan for even the worst scenario. It doesn’t mean that it will always be successful. But you will always be prepared and at your best.”

According to Brian Billick, another Walsh disciple, this is important because:

“The more your players can gain a sense of confidence that they are prepared for anything that might come up, the less likely they are to feel 'physically overwhelmed,' even if their opponent is capable of doing just that.”

Lastly, Walsh emphasized the importance of thoroughly analyzing one’s opponent and making decisions in the cool and calm of one’s office, rather than on the fly and from the sidelines.

“Making judgments under severe stress is the most difficult thing there is. The more preparation you have prior to the conflict, the more you can do in a clinical situation, the better off you will be.”

Could there be a more stressful situation for a coach than trailing 14-0 in a conference championship game? How might that duress have impacted some of Coach Callahan’s decisions? Might he fault his own preparation for the influence it had on a choice to go away from the run and to throw 20 consecutive passes?

And I’m not questioning these decisions; I’m simply trying to get to the bottom of what is eating at our coach this week. The best I can come up with is that Callahan is feeling more at home with the breadth of his position and the investment of the coaches, players and fans. In addition, it signals an adherence to the roots of his coaching philosophy – one that emphasizes commitment, preparation and accountability.

War Eagle? Go Tigers?

I promise I will have a lot more upcoming on Auburn as the Cotton Bowl approaches. However, I first thought it important, to better understand their mascot. You see, Auburn seemingly has two mascots. I found this to be extremely confusing at age 4 when the Tigers/War Eagles last visited Lincoln and I find it just as confusing now. Apparently I am not alone. The university devotes an entire page to the clarification of this issue.

So Auburn's nickname is the TIGERS, while Auburn's battle cry is "WAR EAGLE!" It is all so clear now.

As usual, M Zone jumped on this almost a year ago and had all sorts of fun creating the school's new hybrid mascot - the Auburn War Tig...eag...er!



Nicely done.

Michigan bloggers love the BCS and want to have a million of its babies

I can't even imagine what I would write or who I would blame if this ever happened to Nebraska. I can only hope that I would handle it with dignity and class...just like these guys.

First is Brian at M Go Blog. You have to hand it to the guy, even his most vitriolic declarations are exquisitely written. I only wish my students could frame their thoughts this well.

"There's no conspiracy here save that of stupidity. The BCS is a Lovecraftian monster with parts swiped from any system that was handy. A playoff beak here; bowl tentacles there. It is a playoff, a two team playoff, which is no playoff at all. It has ruined college football's most hallowed traditions, kicked a half-dozen teams directly in the nuts, and given us mostly grief. The people who run the BCS are, bluntly, idiots. The Harris poll has talk radio hosts in it and guys who vote Boise #2. Richard Billingsley's formula is a disjointed mess. The rest of the computers are crippled by an inability to consider the same factors humans do. The coaches -- glorified gym teachers all -- are hopelessly biased. Only Jim Tressel, who abstained after looking at the absurdity of picking one of two teams and seeing it spun as an insult to his opponent either way, seems sane to me.

And somehow people who oppose a playoff will tell me that watching a bunch of idiots decide that my 11-1 team doesn't deserve to go to the national championship game because there's a much worse 12-1 team that had the good fortune to play in a conference without Ohio State is a beautiful thing that adds to the unique charm of college fooball. To them, I only say that I wish you would die in a hideous and painful fashion because a bunch of gym teachers held a vote."

The folks at the M Zone suspect the infamous Katherine Harris is behind key component of the BCS formula the Harris Poll. I was living in Florida during the 2000 election and it wouldn't surprise me a bit to find out Mrs. Harris did indeed have her hands in this mess as well.

"Yesterday, her poll declared Florida #2, leapfrogging the University of Michigan, and sending the Gators to the championship game in Glendale, Arizona, to face Ohio State. But the MZone has learned Harris unilaterally certified her poll's results before anyone could question some of the irregular voting in the Harris Poll.

"I didn't need people asking stupid questions like who the fuck are the jokers in the Harris Poll and why do some ballots make no sense," said Harris when asked if she thought that was proper. "It's Florida and involves voting, so we'll do things how I damn well please."

Ronald Bellamy's underachieving All-Stars will probably be receiving some restraining orders.

"Fuck Florida, fuck Fox, and fuck the BCS. That selection show of theirs was like watching QVC cover the presidential election. Don't worry though, Fox has its best men on the job to announce the games, including Howie Long, Terry Bradshaw, Pat Haden, Barry Alvarez, and Thom Brennaman, who described it as "an odd situation." CAN YOU FEEL THE PASSION!?!?!?!"

Maize n Brew thinks Urban Meyer might want to see a urologist.

"How 71% of the coaches who voted on this thing lost their {bleep}ing minds in the span of 24 hours utterly baffles me. Yes Florida played 13 games. Yes they only lost once and won their conference championship. Fine, the streets of Gainesville are lined with gold and Urban Meyer pees a stream of diamonds that smell like sunshine."

Hey, if passing precious stones is wrong, I don't wanna be right.

A playoff would do nothing, but rob us of these brilliant reactions. This is what makes college football so great...and so humorous.

BlogPoll Ballot - Week 15

Man, I got so caught up in the polls that decided the fate of this college football season, that I almost forgot my own voting responsibilities. This is my take on the current Top 25. Immediately you will notice I have Michigan #2. I am against a rematch in principle, but I truly believe Michigan is the second best team in the country. In addition, I feel way too many voters punished UM for finishing their season early in a Janet Jackson style - "What have you done for me lately" maneuver. But, as always - what say you wise readers?

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Ohio State	--
2	Michigan	1
3	Florida	1
4	LSU	1
5	Wisconsin	1
6	Louisville	1
7	Oklahoma	3
8	Southern Cal	6
9	Boise State	--
10	Auburn	1
11	Notre Dame	1
12	Arkansas	4
13	West Virginia	3
14	Wake Forest	1
15	Virginia Tech	1
16	Rutgers	3
17	Texas	--
18	Tennessee	2
19	California	--
20	Nebraska	2
21	Brigham Young	--
22	Texas A&M	1
23	Boston College	2
24	TCU	2
25	Oregon State	1

Dropped Out: Georgia Tech (#22), Hawaii (#24).

DXP Bowl Game Pick'em

This is an invitation to any and all readers of Double Extra Point to join our bowl game pick'em contest. The contest will be hosted by ESPN because they are the worldwide leader and do all of the work for us. Although you can't actually pick any of the games until December 10, our group is ready and awaiting your entry.

Join the Double Extra Point Bowl Game Pick'em

Good luck and maybe we can think up a prize package like a night out drinking with Sammy Vegas, or an autographed picture of Matt Slauson in his man-panties.

It is Indeed a Virtue

With the ongoing CFB coaching caruosel and coming off a disappointing loss, people are going to once again start asking for heads to roll in Lincoln. I’m not sure why Cosgrove seems to be the coach de jour, given that his gameplans were actually pretty solid against the top two teams in the Big XII South. But anyway, here is a poignent parable to keep in mind from the always enlightening SportsProf:

"You have to remember one of the greatest examples in patience, both by the coach and the school. In the late 1940's, the hoops coach at Purdue was looking for a new job. The University of Minnesota had him all but signed up, but they delayed inexplicably, and a nice athletic director at a state university in California pursued the Purdue coach and offered him the men's hoops job. It wasn't that prestigious a job, there wasn't much tradition, the basketball court was an embarrassment, in an old building, and the coach sometimes had to sweep the floor, but the Purdue coach took it. Gradually he worked toward building a better program, and it wasn't until 1965 -- 15 years after this coach got to this California school, that the coach won his first national championship, when he was something like 54 years old. The coach? John Wooden. The school: UCLA. And we all know that Mr. Wooden won a bunch of titles after that."

Side note – If the state didn’t have crazy weather and football discontentment, what the fuck would Nebraskans talk about?

Thrown For A Loss

I should probably have a lot to say about Saturday night’s game, but I just don’t. The score and general feel of the contest were about what I expected. There were a few things, however, that caught me off guard. First, had you told me that we would double up OU in rushing yards AND throw for more as well; I would have felt pretty confident in our chances. I also didn’t expect Paul Thompson to play as well as he did. He looked very Elway-esque completing passes while rolling out of the pocket. That worked to neutralize our pass rush and kept our linebackers scrambling all over the field. Offensively, we never got rolling. I kept waiting for us to find some sort of rhythm, but we just couldn’t manufacture a drive. Zac Taylor picked a bad time for his poorest performance of the year, but the likelihood of mistakes grows when you are putting it up 50 times in a game.

Nebraska fans are now once again debating the talent, execution or coaching scapegoats. I’ll stick with execution for the time being, but unlike Husker Mike, I don’t think you can disentangle execution from talent. Generally, don’t more talented players better execute on gamedays? Oklahoma made plays and we didn’t. Period.

To win the game I thought we needed points off of big plays, and instead, we gave up far more than we produced. I also thought we had to be really successful on first down. Unfortunately our first down efficiency (percentage of 1st down plays of 4 or more yards) was a very average 45%. In the first quarter 4/6 first down plays went for 4+ yards, but after that quick start, we produced 4 or more yards on just 10 of the next 25 first downs. When you aren’t moving the ball on first down, you quickly fall behind on down and distance. It should come as no surprise then, that we were a paltry 3/15 on third down conversions for the game. When you add in a –4 turnover margin, you have a recipe for disaster.

Last year we really benefited from our bowl preparations and beat a very talented Michigan team. I hope we can do the same this year against Auburn. 10-4 seems like a huge step up from 9-5. Let’s finish strong.